Personal Pediatrics Patient Portal

I am reading about Aetna's providing patients access to " Medical Records" and health information. I'm sure that they are not referring to " THE Medical Record" that is physically sitting around on paper in many doctors offices across the country. Why is it that insurers are so far ahead in providing insurance customers services when compared to medical providers as primary care practicioners? I'll tell you why, they have normal competitive business pressure, i.e. they have to answer to customers and what customers want in order to flourish and peddle their insurance plans across the country. Pediatricians and other primary care care providers that remain in insurance networks are ultimately answering to INSURERS when it comes to what services that they will provide to their patients. If an insurer won't pay for a new vaccine, patients don't get the vaccine. If insurers won't pay for e-mail communication, they don't get to communicate with their doctors by email. If the insurer pays marginal fees for visits, the doctor sure as #$%^ won't be making house calls or spending any more time than ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY on each visit. Incentives are given to physicians who are "efficient" READ ones that farm children in and out of their offices like CATTLE. When pediatricians contract with patients directly as the Personal Pediatrics administrative support enables, a pure form of medicine emerges. A physician will provide X services for Y dollars, which fuels cutting edge emerging therapeutics and evidence based medicine as well as convenience for chidlrenand excellent doctor-patient ( family) communication. This administrative support system enables emergence of " The Pediatrician of the Past and Future...Today" in the national marketplace. Take a look at www.personalpediatrics.com and look for a Personal Pediatrics affiliate pediatician to be making house calls in a neighborhood near you. Natalie Hodge MD, Saint Louis